What the White Race May Learn from the IndianJames, George Wharton
Religion
What the White Race May Learn from the Indian
James, George Wharton
Indians of North America
“‘With our children, very little cow’s milk is used, largely because
of its unreliability in the city; but we do not favor an abundance of
milk anyway, after children have teeth to use on their food. Their diet
consists of fruits, cereals, nuts, and vegetables, no spices, vinegar,
etc., being used. Whole wheat flour, the bran included, is used
exclusively.
“‘They are never urged to eat. We expect them to know whether they
are hungry or not. Urging children to eat leads to overfilling of the
stomach, and this to bowel disorders, and often death. Next to urging
children to eat, as a cause of overeating, is variety. We never supply
them with a choice of foods at one meal. The diet for each meal is
simple, and yet in one season or year they get quite a variety, as
exampled by a list of the fruits they get, one kind at a time: Apples,
pears, grapes, plums, cherries, oranges, pineapples, peaches, grape
fruit, prunes, apricots, figs, dates, raisins, bananas, melons, and
the numerous kinds of berries--all choice fruit. They scorn anything
with a bad spot as being not fit to eat. Then again we buy them lots of
nuts for food, not just for the fun of cracking and eating and usually
overeating. They get nut food as a United States soldier his rations.
Next we have an immense choice of vegetables, of which they get one
kind at a meal--never two vegetables to one child at the same meal. On
such a diet it is no occasion for surprise that they have never been
sick. The good health to be derived from a simple meal more than repays
for any fancied abstinence.’
“The Worden children are already little athletes. The elder girl is the
youngest basket-ball player in Milwaukee. Every evening they exercise
for a few minutes nude, incidentally getting an air bath to the skin of
the whole body while developing and strengthening the muscles.
“Dr. and Mrs. Worden are not faddists. They are earnestly and
steadfastly endeavoring to fulfill the trust committed to them, to
develop their children into strong healthy women, to strengthen their
powers of endurance, and develop their physical faculties by bringing
them up in accordance with all the laws of health.”
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Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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